Of Broken Bones and Clockwork
by writingbutunpublished
Summary: Harry comes home from work injured and Draco has had enough.


**Of Broken Bones and Clockwork**

Draco awoke to a crash in his living room. He sat straight up in bed, wand at the ready, and checked the clock. 4:30 AM. He got out of bed and tiptoed across the room, slowly opening the door. When he paused to listen, what he heard nearly stopped his heart.

Someone gasped out his name and coughed wetly. "Harry." he said softly and headed toward the noise at a run. He arrived just in time to catch Harry before he fell to the floor.

Draco waved his wand carelessly to turn on the lights in his flat before dropping to his knees to examine Harry.

"Bloody hell, Harry, what happened?" Draco demanded, pushing Harry's dark curls back from his forehead, trying to find the source of the blood that now covered Draco's fingers.

"Got thrown against a wall." Harry said. Draco could tell it was difficult for him to speak and he felt a hot knife of worry slice through him.

"You idiot, why didn't you apparate to St. Mungo's?" Draco hissed as he helped Harry onto the couch.

"Why would I do that," Harry scoffed, "when I'm sleeping with their best healer?"

Draco fought not to smile at the compliment as he waved he held out his hand, causing his medical bag to come flying toward him.

"I love it when you use wandless magic." Harry said, his smirk turned gruesome due to the trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth.

Draco rolled his eyes. "You might have a concussion." he said. He carefully cleaned the cut on Harry's hairline and smeared a cream of his own creation across it before bandaging it up. He next began to poke about at Harry's ribs.

Harry hissed when he touched a particularly tender spot. "Merlin, Draco, that hurts!" he said, trying to twist away.

"Be still, you'll make it worse." Draco snapped. "You have a broken rib." he said and maneuvered Harry until he was laying on the couch.

"Surely we can take this to the bedroom." Harry said with a laugh that ended in a wince when it cause him pain.

Draco glared at Harry. "You think this is funny, Harry?" he said darkly. "You come home bleeding and broken and bruised, and you think I want to hear jokes?"

"Draco, I-" Harry began but Draco cut him off.

"I can't do this anymore." Draco said. "I can't spend my nights wondering if I'm going to get an owl telling me you've gotten yourself killed because you did something reckless again. I can't."

Draco pointed his wand at Harry's ribs, mending them with a pop. "You can sleep here and I want you gone when you wake up." Draco said and stomped off to their room and slammed the door.

Late that morning, Draco crept into the living room to find Harry gone and his heart sank. He hadn't really meant what he had said about him leaving...or any of it really and he had hoped that Harry hadn't listened and he could apologize.

He went about making himself a cup of tea. The flat was too quiet without Harry there and he felt like crying. The knock at the door startled him so that he sloshed hot tea onto his hand.

"Bugger!" he hissed. "One moment!" he shouted at the door and wiped at his stinging hand before jerking the door open. "What do you-" he cut himself short abruptly at the sight that greeted him.

Harry was standing at the door. In one hand he held a box of Draco's favorite chocolates. In the other was what looked to be a mantle clock. Instead of numbers around the face there were words like home, work, school, traveling, and mortal peril. There were two hands one with Harry's face and the other with his. Both hands were pointed at home.

"What's this?" Draco said. He couldn't think of anything else to say.

"It's a family clock."Harry said. "Can I come in?"

Draco stepped aside, still baffled and Harry headed straight for the mantle, setting the clock dead center. "Molly has one." Harry said without looking at Draco. "Her and Arthur made it. I asked them to make me one."

Finally he turned to look at Draco. "I'm sorry." he said. "You're right, I am too reckless. I love my job and I want to keep people safe but none of that means anything if I don't have you to share it with. You shouldn't have to be with someone you have to worry about."

"Harry, don't." Draco said, feeling worse than ever about his snit.

"Please let me finish." Harry said before he could continue. "I'm going to make you a promise." He said. "If I can stay out of danger and still do my job I will. No more taking stupid chances."

Draco swallowed the lump in his throat. "You got me a clock." He said softly.

Harry smiled. "I did. I hope it will ease your fears."

Draco surged forward and threw himself into Harry's arms, squeezing him tightly. "I'm sorry too." he said. His voice was muffled by Harry's neck. "I know your job is dangerous." he said, pulling back to look at Harry. "You scared me and I...it won't happen again."

Harry squeezed Draco's upper arms and smiled. "I wish I could give you the same promise." he said.

Draco shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Just make sure you always do your best to come home to me." he said.

"I promise." Harry said and kissed him soundly.


End file.
